###

In a recent unexpected revelation, NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin has claimed that the highly publicized fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul was fixed. According to Irvin, the bout, held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington last Friday, was compromised by a contractual agreement that restricted Tyson, 58, from using his renowned uppercut.

During an appearance on the "It Is What It Is" podcast, Irvin disclosed that he overheard conversations about a clause in the fighters' contracts, which stipulated that Tyson couldn't deploy his famous uppercut and that both fighters had to refrain from going all out in the ring. "That fight was a lie," Irvin remarked, adding that sitting in the second row behind Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and President-elect Donald Trump, he was shocked to not see Tyson use the lethal uppercut that once defined his career.

Irvin explained, "Mike Tyson is not Mike Tyson anyway, and now you're taking away Mike Tyson's best gift, which is that uppercut. They had no intentions to really strap it on." He criticized the limitations imposed on Tyson, comparing it to taking away a key play from an NFL player's arsenal.

Supporting Irvin's claim, DJ Whoo Kid, a famous DJ and SiriusXM host, shared in a separate video that he spoke to Jake Paul at an afterparty following the fight. According to DJ Whoo Kid, both fighters were legally obligated to go easy on each other. "The rules were, they gotta chill. That's what I heard," he stated.

The fight statistics showed Tyson landing 18 punches out of 97 attempts, while Paul connected on 78 out of 278 punches. Despite the lackluster performance, Tyson earned $20 million, and Paul took home $40 million. After the fight, Paul commented on his approach, saying, "I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn't want to hurt someone who didn't need to be hurt."

Tyson, who faced numerous health issues leading up to the fight, including an ulcer flare-up that postponed the original July 20 date, later revealed he almost died in June. Reflecting on the event, Tyson stated, "This is one of those situations when you lost but still won. To have my children see me stand toe to toe and finish 8 rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for."

Despite the controversy and mixed reactions, both fighters walked away substantially richer and with their health intact. Whether the alleged contract stipulations detracted from the fight's authenticity remains a point of debate among fans and analysts alike.